Rick Warren Teaching Law of Attraction?

Apprising Ministries raises some issues about Rick Warren’s forwarding and support for a new book that teaches what is commonly called the Law of Attraction. Apprising Director Ken Silva cites this quote on the Sola Sisters blog:

“With her new book “Driven by Destiny”, Dr. LaVerne Adams reveals 12 secret keys that inspire readers to overcome feelings of confusion and frustration while navigating their own unique destiny roadmap… In addition to being unbiblical, this kind of positive self-talk in Dr. Adams’ book also comes very close to being New Age/Integral Spirituality thought, which is not Christian at all. When I was in the New Age back in the 90s, this thinking was dubbed “New Thought.”

Its theology? What mind can conceive, man can achieve. This thoroughly New Age thinking really went mainstream and took off in 2007 with the book “The Secret,” which “explained” that the secret of success in anyone’s life was based on something called the “law of attraction.” This “law of attraction” puts forth the concept that thoughts have energy and power, and when you clear yourself of negative blocks, get focused and think your thoughts purposefully, your thoughts will create what you desire by “attraction.”

The problem? This is not Christian teaching….which teaches a crucified self, a life yielded to its Maker. Nevertheless, this teaching has taken on Christian terminology and flooded into today’s churches. Read the full post at Apprising Ministries.

Get Pregnant With God’s Plan for Your Life?

From the “You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up” file, a new Christian book promo came through today. At first glance, it may appear to be satire. Of course, it is not. This book is Purpose-Driven teachings in maternity clothes.

June 15 /Christian Newswire/ — Have you ever felt like you were pushing to give birth to a new purpose in life, but something has held you back? Labour Pains: A Biblical Perspective of God’s Destiny for your Life (published by AuthorHouse) by author Kay Blugh Gaymes shows how you can “deliver” a purposeful life and achieve your desires.

Labour Pains arms its reader with prayer as a spiritual weapon to fight against fear, and emphasizes the PUSH method: “Pray Until Something Happens.” By recognizing skills and gifts from God as well as battling fears, a believer can renew spiritual energy and passion. Gaymes uses popular Biblical figures in Labour Pains to indicate how God is able to give the desires of one’s heart if they work hard and think wisely.

“Some people may have thought you were barren and couldn’t get pregnant with the plan of God, but let them know that just because they didn’t see your fruits it doesn’t mean that you weren’t producing and that your roots weren’t growing,” Gaymes insists. “This is your time of fruition; God is inducing labour pains, so PUSH and produce an offspring!….”

Literary metaphors are apparently in short supply for modern evangelical, self-fulfillment authors. In terms of crassness, this one definitely takes the prize.

Jonas Brothers Worship

Todd Friel from the Wretched TV show weighs in on the Jonas Brothers’ Easter Saddleback song, made famous from the Disney movie, Camp Rock.

Crosstalk Show Notes for Tuesday

I’m frequently asked after a Crosstalk Show for links and material that I cite on the program. In that I will be referencing several links today on the program, I will list them here for those interested.

The following blog post contains audio links of Rick Warren’s address at Synagogue 3000 where he advised Jewish leaders on how to grow their synagogues numerically and spiritually. The only obvious reference he made to Jesus was in cut three of the audio links at approximately 3:05 where he actually apologizes for using a story about Jesus in front of the Jewish listeners. The gospel is nowhere to be found.

http://reformedgadfly.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-rick-warren-evangelizes-jewish.html

In this video, Rick Warren tells Muslims at the Islamic Association of North America that we need to move beyond tolerance to something greater between faiths. Once again, the gospel of Jesus Christ is nowhere to be found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oen31gIeCZk

Here is the John MacArthur excerpt explaining in the most succinct manner possible, just what is wrong with Rick Warren’s version of the Gospel in The Purpose Driven Life. Very valuable to the discussion.

http://www.crosstalkblog.com/2010/04/john-macarthur-on-the-false-gospel-of-the-purpose-driven-life/

Here is John Piper explaining why he now believes that Rick Warren is “doctrinally sound” and why he has invited him to address his Desiring God 2010 Conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlxRKLXk1WE

Here is Pastor Bob DeWaay’s Berean Tool for readers to use in examining the teachings of  The Purpose Driven Life.

http://cicministry.org/berean.php

Here is additional video of John Piper explaining his rationale for inviting Rick Warren to the conference.

Is the Purpose-Driven Movement Doctrinally Sound?

John Piper recently declared Rick Warren’s beliefs to be “doctrinally sound.”  But Cecil Andrews of Take Heed Ministries in Northern Ireland has examined the Purpose-Driven movement and has come to a radically different conclusion. Before this current controversy erupted, he recently opened the Scriptures and spoke on the subject.

Crosstalk Alert – Pastor Bob DeWaay Today

Pastor Bob DeWaay, Senior Pastor of Twin City Fellowship, will be the guest on Tuesday’s Crosstalk. He is author of Redefining Christianity: Understanding the Purpose Driven Movement, and also the Critical Issues Commentaries. John Piper’s recent invitation to Rick Warren to speak at his Desiring God Conference is causing a great deal of controversy and confusion. Is Rick Warren “doctrinally sound” as John Piper now has stated? Is the Purpose Driven movement still alive and where is it headed? These questions will be answered on Tuesday’s program. Tune in live at 2pm Central or listen to the archived show later at the Crosstalk website.

Jonas Brothers Rock Rick Warren’s Easter Service

Commentary – by Ingrid Schlueter

The girls were screaming, biting their fists and swooning as the Jonas Brothers took the stage for Rick Warren’s Saddleback Easter service at Angel Stadium. The reportedly smokin’ hot boy band sang some well-known Easter hymns like “Hold On”, “A Little Bit Longer”, and this doctrinally heavy number:

Everytime I think I’m closer to the heart
Of what it means to know just who I am
I think I’ve finally found a better place to start
But no one ever seems to understand
I need to try to get to where you are
Could it be you’re not that far?
You’re the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I’m singing
I need to find you
I gotta find you
You’re the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
I need to find you
I gotta find you
Oh yeah
You’re the remedy I’m searchin’ hard to find
To fix the puzzle that I see inside
Painting all my dreams the color of your smile…

Joe Jonas apparently thinks that Jesus Christ is his girlfriend as you can see in this video where he performs the same number in a non-Easter venue. But none of this bothers Rick Warren, of course, who is clearly too thrilled with his new fan, popular Reformed author and teacher, John Piper, to worry about whether Joe Jonas and his own church members actually know who Jesus Christ is.

There is something almost surreal about seeing someone like John Piper now openly endorsing Rick Warren as “doctrinally sound.” Rick Warren’s Purpose-Driven version of Christianity has taken on the flavor of French farce. Boy bands, thousands of girls and women screaming in lust, secular pop songs instead of Christian hymns, Rick Warren tweeting about his “baptisms” live from the scene of the Easter comedy—you could not possibly make this up.

Yet now we have an internationally respected pastor, known for his serious books on theology and the Christian life, announcing that Rick Warren is doctrinally “sound.” Here is John Piper on video as he defends the Grand Circus Master of the First Church of the Jonas Brothers.

Whatever personal crisis has led John Piper to this tragic and horrifying turn in his ministry, he should be held accountable for the incredible damage he is doing to the Gospel by this very public meltdown. The time to take a sabbatical is before embracing the guy in the pastoral clown suit, not after—unless the sabbatical is intended to become permanent.

Those of us with young people to raise in our homes are now further challenged to try to explain just how someone with the vast biblical knowledge of John Piper can openly endorse one of the most damaging false teachers of our time. Rick Warren is not damaging because he lacks the right answers theologically. He is damaging because those biblical answers have had no influence on his public ministry. Orthodoxy is worthless if it never leaves the realm of the books on his shelf. Right theology needs to be the bedrock of a pastor’s preaching and ministry life. Anything less leads to a corrupt view of Jesus Christ and a false gospel. Just ask Joe Jonas.

Note: Please read this excellent piece by Daniel Chew regarding Rick Warren’s failed orthopraxy.

John MacArthur on the False Gospel of the Purpose Driven Life

In this short video clip, Dr. John MacArthur succinctly articulates what’s wrong with Rick Warren’s gospel. In light of John Piper’s promotion of Warren for his 2010 Desiring God Conference, it is helpful to revisit just what the controversy is all about. An inaccurate gospel is a lie.

Which Warren is “Rock Solid?”

John Piper says Rick Warren is “rock solid” in the latest video put out by his ministry. Well, you decide which Rick Warren Piper was talking about in this piece by Apprising Ministries.

John Piper on Rick Warren: In His Own Words

This post from “In the Hedge” needs no commentary. Thank you to David Horn for posting it.